Tufting device



n. 'H.'V ALENT|NE.

TUFTING DEVICE.

`APPLICATION FILED MAY I0, I920.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

nvcmtoz .3H Valenz'ne NORRIS PETERS. INC.. L'ITHD.. WAsmNsoN. D C

UNITED s'iArsS ROLLO n. VALENTINE, Or CLINTON, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon OI` ONE-HALF TQRIC'ARD I. HALL, or CLINTON, ILLINOIS. f 1

TUFTING DEVICE. I'

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROLLO II. VALENTINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, in the County of De Vitt and State of Illinois, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Tufting Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable' others skilled 1n the 'art to which it appertains to make and use provide a device of this character which is exceedingly compact, convenient to thread without use of any threading device or appliance, and may be rotated in the vhand of the operator without changing its degree of convenience and comfort with respect'to the hand, and without affecting the relative position of the thread being fed thereinto.

Others objects and advantages are pointed out or implied in the following details of description, in connection with the accom- Y panying drawings in which:

Figure lis a side elevation of my improved tufting device in position to begin its downward movement for pushing the needle through the cloth or textile base.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l except that the needle is in its lowermost position with respect to the textile base and to the thread holding sleeve or spring-pressed thread-holder.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the center of the handle and spring-pressedv sleeve, the needle and compression spring being shown in full elevation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental detail view of the needle. l

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the springpressed sleeve and of the front end or `point of the needle.

specification of Lettersratent. patented Apr; 12, '1921"v Appiication filed May 1o, 1920. serial No. 380,251. Y, l i' Fig. 6 isa sectional @+6 kof Fig. a l

which similar reference Vcharacters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views, and in which the cloth or textile base 'a land thread b maybe of any appropriate kind, the invention 'consistsin the' construction and arrangement of parts which will now be described as follows:

`Referringespecially to Fig. 3, it will bev 'seen that the device consists of but 'four primarily separate 'members,v that vis,;a tubular handle l., a needle 2, a pressure meme ber or sleeve 3 and a compression springl 4.

The handle l is formed-with abore-or.

socket 5 which extends inward from the front end of the handlel and terminates in an abutment 6, therear end portion of the handle being provided with a needle seat, bore or opening 7 which is of relatively small diameter or cross-section in compari; son to that of the socket 5.v The needle, 2

has its rear end tightly fitted in the bore -or seat 7, and the front end of the needle extends beyond the front end of thesleeve 3. The sleeve 3 normallyV extends vforward a considerable distance beyond the front endofthe handle 1,`the rear end of thisgsleeve being slidably seated in the socket 5, and the socket is suiiiciently deep to receive the PATENT. OFFICE.

view along the line entire sleeve 3 when the latter is at. its

rearmost position.

The spring 4 is preferably helical, as

shown, and surrounds the intermediate portion of the needle 2, the rear end ofthis spring being `preferably secured. to .the

needle, by solder or other appropriate means, and forms a shoulder on the needle which rests against the abutment 6 vand prevents end thrust of the needle rearwardly with respect to the handle. The frontend of y l the spring 4 is soldered or otherwise secured to the sleeve 3, as indicated at 8, and

retains the sleeve 3 yieldably in the normall position shown inFigs. l and 3Q It will be seen, however, that when the handleis pushed downl SO asto bring the sleeve 3 into, Contact with the base a said sleeve is there l during the greater portion of the downward and upwardA movements of the handle and needle. The intermediate portion of the spring l'is held out ofsontact with the sleeve 3 by means of the needle, thereby avoiding injury to the spring` and interference withthe operation of the sleeve 3. The spring also serves to hold the needle and sleeve in proper relation to one another and to the handle 1. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, it will` be seen that the needle is hollow or tubular substantially throughout its length,

. being provided with a thread-inlet 9 and a thread-outlet l0, the latter being adjacent to the point of the needle and at the front end of the sleeve 3, and therefore, by insert ing the end of the thread Z) at 9 and pushf ing it downward oraforward in the needle, its end will'pass through or appear in position `to be pulled through the outlet l0.

vThesleeve 3 has itsfront end tapered or reduced,y as indicated at 1l, to provide a bearing for theneedle, and this bearing pre;

vents relative lateral movement of the needle and sleeve 3 so as to keep them concentric. Moreover, the sleeve 3 1s provided with a series of teeth l2 which extends across the ltrated vas being somewhat l'enlarged to conform tothe interior of this sleeve, the latter hand.

heilig provided with one or more apertures 13 through whichvthesolder may be applied to the spring and interior or the sleeve.

` However, this illustrates only one of many ways in which the spring l can besecured to the sleeve 3.

VAlthough l have described this embodiment or' my invention very specifically, it is not intended toy limit the invention to the exact details or construction and arrangement as illustrated, but changes may be made withinthe scope or the inventiveideas as implied and claimed.

What l claim as my invention is: A turting device comprising a one piece rectilinear handle provided with a relatively large central longitudinal bore opening y through its front end and occupying sub1 stantially half of its length, said handle having a smaller bore leading from its rear end into said larger bore, a one piece needle of uniform cross section and tubular form throughout its length, said needle being rigidly secured in said smaller bore and extending forwardly 'through said relatively largebore and beyond the 'front end of the handle, the trent end of said needle beingk sharpened and havingv an eye, a one piece.

vsleeve slidable in said relatively large bore and extending forwardly therefrom around A and spaced from said needle, said sleeve having its trent end contracted around said needle, acoil spring in said sleeve and said relatively large bore, means securing the outer end ol said spring to said sleeve, and

means securing its inner end to said needle. n testimony whereof I have hereunto set :eoLLo H. vALnNriNn. 

